The Rhetoric of Machine Learning
arXiv:2604.0675467.3h-index: 1
AI Analysis
This work critiques the foundational assumptions of ML for researchers and practitioners, highlighting ethical concerns in its application.
The paper argues that machine learning is inherently rhetorical rather than objective, examining its persuasive features and analyzing its use in 'manipulation as a service' business models.
I examine the technology of machine learning from the perspective of rhetoric, which is simply the art of persuasion. Rather than being a neutral and "objective" way to build "world models" from data, machine learning is (I argue) inherently rhetorical. I explore some of its rhetorical features, and examine one pervasive business model where machine learning is widely used, "manipulation as a service."